


Marrow Deep

by Lyrjok



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, But not all at once, Descriptions of harvesting humans, Food as a form of bonding, Gen, Gore, Graphic Description, Harvesting animals and Plants, Hunting, Just surfaced, OC is ace, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, PTSD, Sans isn't happy about it, Starting the recovery process, Starving monsters, They're trying at least, Trauma, butchery, not romantic - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-01-15 17:33:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21257027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrjok/pseuds/Lyrjok
Summary: They demanded at first. Then begged for assistance. Those twisted, creatures from the mountain. It wasn’t until more came pouring out that the government caved and sent us to help. I still cannot properly put into words the horrors starvation inflicts upon a magical race, nor the long road they all had to travel to even begin recovering.Especially those two. They called themselves brothers though the only thing they share is the fact that they are skeletons...and they are hungry.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends and Happy Halloween!!!
> 
> Welcome to my Horrortale fic. I do not have a set schedule for this one yet as I am concentrating most of my writing time to On Top of the Bone Pile. But fear not! I have this whole story planned out so once I get going on it there will be chapters a plenty.
> 
> Warnings in general for this fic are mostly for the gore. Most of it will be animal-related gore though. I based the OC heavily off of my life before moving away from home. Hunting, fishing, and gardening pretty much all of the time is normal (and fun!)
> 
> Warnings for this chapter!  
Butchering humans  
Blood  
Corpse  
Ya know, Horrortale stuff
> 
> Enjoy!

Snow drifted gently into the everpresent banks. The white powder muted the soft steps of a single monster as it passed. Barren pines reached their gnarly branches into the dim light, casting their black silhouettes against the snow.

A single line of footprints trudged through the powder accompanied only by a few drops here and there of dark, warm, crimson. On the horizon, a small town squatted miserably in the snow. The monster passed the crumbling buildings in silence. One or two residents noted the passerby, but quickly went about their business or retreated inside.

Nearing the end of town, another monster emerged to intercept the first. Tall and gangly, their hunched over form lumbered over to inspect the corpse dangling around the first’s broad shoulders. The pair silently continued on to enter the dilapidated shack next to their home.

The corpse thudded onto a long table. It was a young man. Early teens by the look of him. Had so much life ahead of him… at least until he had made the unfortunate decision to come tumbling into the mountain. His now glassy eyes were still open and staring. He had been already on his way to the grave by the time the broad one had found him. What with his foot caught in a trap, he was half frozen and the other half bleeding out.

Long skeletal fingers wrapped around the handle of an ax. The bone grinding against the wood as a single blown eye light slowly tracked back around to their prey. The scarlet glow from it matched the blood running from the boy’s wound when it was fresh. The skeleton hefted the ax, waiting for his counterpart to finish his task.

The second monster was also a skeleton. Tall, thin, and starving. His careful hands expertly cut the dead human’s clothes from them. The fabric was tossed in a corner, it would be used for a fire later.

Task done, he stepped to the side to pull out more supplies to set on an empty surface. He kept his tiny eye lights firmly on his task and was even rather proud that he didn’t flinch at the sickening crunch of his brother’s ax making short work of the human’s arm. As meat was moved to his table, he began to package it into tight little bundles. The pride he had felt before quickly diminished. How had it come to this?

_ Crack _

_ Crack _

_ Thud _

The human body is a terrifying thing. There are so many parts. So many pieces that had to work just so to keep the human alive. One little upset of this balance could shut down the entire system and kill the body. The large red eye light tracked over the leg he had clutched in one hand

_ Crack _

_ Crack _

_ Thud _

The leg separated from the torso and he began carving out the available meat. As fragile as the individual parts all seemed, humans were always surprisingly resilient. He had seen their struggle to survive… to recover from seemingly anything until he got his hands on them. He had even befriended one once. A long time ago before everything got bad… but they had left… and now he and his kind suffered worse than before.

“SANS.” 

His name reverberated through his bones, exiting out the gaping hole in the top of his skull. Ever so slowly, he turned to his brother who had a hand on his shoulder.

“THAT’S A GOOD ENOUGH PIECE.” He said, nodding at his work. Sans returned his gaze to what he was doing. His ax had torn haphazardly through the calf muscle, slicing off an uneven chunk of meat. Damn it… that was wasteful.

“PERHAPS THIS IS ENOUGH FOR TODAY.” His brother suggested.

“no.” Sans growled, slinging his weapon around again to lop off more flesh.

“BUT-”

“i can do it!” Sans could feel his brother’s worry radiating off of him, it rubbed him the wrong way. “we need to distribute as much as possible… i can do it papyrus.” At the soft noise of assent, he continued at his work.

_ Crack _

_ Crack _

_ Thud _

He could feed his brother with this.

_ Crack _

_ Crack _

_ Thud _

They would survive another night.

_ Crack _

_ Crack _

** _Boom!!!_ **

What felt like a shock wave rolled through their butcher shed. Tools and supplies shook and rattled in their places. Sans almost dropped his ax, and Papyrus let out a surprised shout. Both skeletons stared at the other asking the same silent question.

Making their way out into town, they found many of the other residents looking around in fear. Sans could understand their concern. Things didn’t get better down here, they only got worse. And that explosion sounded like things were gonna get a whole lot worse.

“WHAT WAS THAT?” Papyrus asked.

“dunno.” He replied.

“Did they do something to the core?” Someone called.

“dunno.” Was all he could mutter.

“WE WILL HAVE MORE RATIONS SHORTLY!” His brother was calling in an attempt to distract the residents, “THEN WE’LL SEE ABOUT THIS… DEVELOPMENT.”

Development was an understatement Sans thought. If the queen bitch was messing with the core again, that could only be bad news. Papyrus’s hands steered him back into the shed, they had to finish butchering the catch now. Food had been promised, so food had to be delivered.

Papyrus watched his brother carefully as he methodically wiped down his table and ax. The few unusable parts were dumped in a bucket to be buried at another time. Dropping the packages into a sack, he bid his brother a quick farewell. With rations in his arms, he lumbered to the few remaining occupied houses in his little Snowdin town. Most residents took the packages quickly and retreated. A few still thanked him, but none would look him in the face.

Papyrus knew he didn’t look like he did before. His smashed and broken teeth were a constant painful reminder of a broken friendship rooted in hard times. The harshness had warped him. It had warped his brother. His town.

Task done, he made his way home. Shrunken sockets squinted at his surroundings. Good thing he knew Snowdin like the back of his hand, or his worsening sight would have hindered him greatly. Stomping off the snow, he entered his home. Removing the last two parcels from his bag, he passed his sleeping brother on the couch to deposit them in the fridge. Sans always did sleep heavier after a successful hunt. He should try to do the same.

-

A few days passed with no further shockwaves. Papyrus woke up one morning to the strange sound of the front door closing. Sans never left this early. Even to hunt. Concern rocked through him as he tried to make his disproportionate body all move in the same direction. Hunger gnawed at him as he lumbered from his room in search of Sans. There was probably one more day of rations left from the most recent catch so he didn’t go straight for the kitchen this morning.

“SANS.” He called, bursting out of the front door. There was no sign of this brother’s torn and dirty blue hoodie. Squinting down, Papyrus could just make out Sans’s slippered tracks moving away from the house.

Hunching down lower, he tracked them out of town. Halfway down the path he froze and squinted up and the pile of ice and snow barricading Snowdin from the rest of the underground. He knew that just beyond this was the fog bank that segregated his home from Waterfall. It was too dangerous to go to Waterfall now, let alone Hotland or the Capital. But Sans’s prints were clearly clamoring over the barricade. Was he going to check out what made that shock wave a few days back?

Papyrus wrung his hands. He couldn’t leave. Snowdin relied on him and his brother so they both couldn’t up and abandon them out of curiosity. If anything, he was still The Great Papyrus, and his town needed him while his brother was away.

“COME HOME SAFELY.” He called before turning around.

One set of footprints moved deeper into the underground.

One set retreated.


	2. I Never Thought the World Would Turn to Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All I want is to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I wrote a chapter for this!  
Still no upload schedule but chapters will be out intermittently.
> 
> Warnings for this chapter!  
Descriptions of starving monsters

It is not a stretch to say that I have seen and experienced the kindness of humanity. As much as we as a race try to bury it under news reports of violence and angry politicians, examples of our good always shine through. 

Humans linking together to pull a single dog from a canal, complete strangers running into burning buildings to save any living thing that may still be inside. Believers of one creedence or another standing guard over a group from a completely different religion to keep them safe as they worship.

All of these things we are capable of. All of these things I cling to. Because I have also seen that kindness shaken and withheld in the face of uncertainty and something completely foreign.

Monsters.

Not our name for them. They named themselves. Sentient and with a governing monarch, they emerged from the mountain we had lived by for generations. I remember the day clearly.

* * *

“Lelia?”

The television was on in the little cafe I frequented when in town. A helicopter shot of a cave mouth was on-screen showing hundreds of creatures stumbling out into the sun.

“Lelia.”

There were so many of them. All thin and twisted, sunken eyes and limping steps. Staring blankly at the forested mountainside around them. Just how long had they been in the mountain?

“Lelia!”

“Hmm? Oh, sorry, thank you!” I had been so engrossed in the emergence of a new species that I had completely forgotten about the caramel chai in the barista's hands. Taking the drink, my attention was drawn back to the screen.

The camera was zoomed in on a single monster now. Long crimson hair adorned with what looked like a crown made from bone. Dark pointed armor covered the rest of them. Their blue scaled face was half obscured by a bloodied bandage, but the single yellowed eye glaring up at the camera could strike fear into anyone caught in their gaze.

The creature began shouting at the cameraman. Their words unintelligible over the helicopter blades and wind. Chills shot up my spine when an electric blue spear materialized out of nowhere in the monster’s hand. What kind of power did they carry that one could summon something from nothing?

I didn’t know at the time but magic was more than just parlor tricks and sleight of hand. The armored monster shook their weapon at the screen and the shot was cut off to the newscaster.

“Isn’t that near where you live?” The barista had come back around. 

“Yup, that’s why I’m here. Everyone living on the side of the mountain has been evacuated.” Taking a sip of my chai I thought back to the officer that had knocked on my door. “Though we were originally pulled out because the authorities were concerned over the explosion. These guys are news to me.”

The girl was wringing her towel anxiously while staring at the TV. I really wished she wouldn’t. This was just a huge annoyance. There was too much stuff needing to be done at home, and here I was, drinking chai in town because the locals thought a bunch of new creatures were going to be more dangerous than the wildlife that already roamed the mountain.

I suppose bears couldn’t summon spears out of nowhere, but they were still plenty dangerous if you were an idiot when it came to dealing with them. Same could be said for the creatures from the mountain. If people just learned how to interact with beings that weren’t themselves they wouldn’t panic every time something new was thrust under their noses. 

No use sitting here for the rest of the day. The story would be all over so there was no way to miss out on every step the new race took out into the sun. There were a few things I needed to get in town anyways. I just hoped I could head home soon.

* * *

The TV droned in the background.

_ *The monster calling herself Queen Undyne has called for assistance for her race. There have been no reports of attacks on humans yet, but there is evidence that these monsters are already hunting the wildlife on Ebott mountain. _

It’s been a few days. Contact with the monsters had been established but the entire mountain had been quarantined off. No one outside of the local and state officials could cross the barricade at the base of the mountain. 

So far the monsters had peacefully set up camp and had only asked for food. Reports continued to trickle in of small groups of monsters coming out of the mountain and joining the main camp. Their queen wouldn’t talk about any remaining residents in the cave and the state was waiting on the feds to send in a team.

It still amazes me today of the sheer amount of diversity in the monster race. Every shot of the creatures on screen showcased a different monster. Some were scaly, some furry. Many looked similar to animals we were already familiar with, but many more were completely foreign to anything humanity thought possible to exist as a living thing.

There was already a group of people gathered at the base of the mountain. The typical mob waving signs and shouting at any officer that passed. Their intentions were split between demanding a show of force to make them go back under the mountain and giving them the assistance they had been asking for since contact had been established. 

I was on my way to join said mob, except all I wanted was to know when I could get back to my property. Brushing out my hair I took one last look in the mirror. May as well look presentable, someone might let a put-together person by over one that looked like they just rolled out of bed.

Bottle green eyes stared back at me in the mirror as I brushed out the last handful of long dark brown hair. That should be good. All that’s left was to strap on my steel toe boots and I could go. Jeans and a t-shirt should be casual enough that I wouldn’t look like someone who was planning on rushing the barricade or something.

Exiting the hotel I had been set up in after my evacuation, I fired up the jeep and drove straight for the mountain. It was a short trip, but with the hoards of people standing around the blocked road, it took nearly half an hour to find a place to park and another to elbow my way to the line of government vehicles.

“Excuse me!”

Of course, no one was going to answer me. These guys were charged with keeping us out, not listen to, or bargain with us.

“Good luck with that girl, that guy down there is much louder than you and he’s been ignored for hours.” The man next to me pointed down the way at an older gentleman hollering at the guards to no avail.

“I need to get up there though.” I absently replied scanning the patrolling men.

“Yea, you and everyone else is saying that. What are you anyway, a journalist?” 

I turned to look at the stranger. “I live up there. I have a cat at home and there is a crop of asparagus that needs to be pulled before they bolt.” 

The man chuckled and shook his head. “There are literal monsters crawling all over the mountain and you’re worried about your asparagus?” This was a pointless conversation, I knew it, he hopefully knew it. So I just nod and start elbowing my way towards a group of uniformed men.

It is a wonder of training that the people patrolling the border could simultaneously ignore and keep an eye on the shouting of the many on one side and stay vigilant of the monsters on the other. I personally knew I would only have the concentration for one of those things. The unfortunate fact that they could do both prevented my passing onto Mt. Ebott that day and the many after that.

Two weeks.

It took two weeks of televised asking, then begging from the monster monarch for the local government to cave and start asking the residents for food donations. It was another week and a half before the requested food was amassed and put on trucks for delivery. Guards from the nearest military base would be escorting the trucks in, but they were just there to keep the peace. 

I finally got a chance to get home. Volunteers were called on to help distribute food. It was the only way I was going to get past the barricade and I was taking it. I was only asked to help get the food to the monsters. There was nothing said about coming right back off of the mountain.

Unfortunately, it took another week or so to get enough volunteers together to even consider using up the military’s time on an escort. But we did it, and I found myself on a bus heading up to the monster camp.

I will not bore you with the details of the ride up, but I will say that stepping off of the bus into the monster camp was a shock. I have lived most of my short adult life on the side of the mountain. I know the land. But when creatures so foreign to what I previously thought possible to exist are huddled around me in a mix of fear and hope… there are no words.

A shout rose above the subdued camp and I followed my fellow volunteers to one of the trucks. Bags of rations were handed out and our little group slowly dispersed among the monsters.

Seeing them on TV is vastly different than being up close and personal with real living monsters. I handed a loaf of bread and a few cans of food to a giant walking hand and a sentient volcano. There was a wasting away half-horse, half-fish creature that took food from the man next to me, I remember it half-heartedly flexing at us once it received its rations. 

A small group of cat-like creatures came up to me asking if we had any Temmie flakes, all I could do was shake my head. They seemed happy with whatever I gave them, but I couldn’t help but feel my stomach twist watching the thin shaking monsters totter away. 

The food we handed out wouldn’t last long. If they could even eat it. I watched several monsters ponder over what they were handed before just tearing into it without a care. Starvation is a horrible thing.

That evening we were brought into the military camp to rest before going back the next day, then the next. We were to keep going back until the donated rations were gone. I thought of the bounty of food growing around my home just a few miles from the monster camp. 

The veggies in my garden and fruits hanging in the orchard. This mountain contained streams and land enough for wildlife to thrive as well. There was very little I needed to buy in terms of food. Ebott mountain provided for me.

\---

“Hoi Leleea!” I grinned and waved at the little Temmie. I had become quite attached to the cat-like creatures as the days went on. 

“Hey Tem, how does canned peaches sound?” I plopped down on the flattened ground amidst them waving a large can. They wavered over on thin spindly legs. Their matching shirts hid the skeletal bodies underneath, and their white and gray fur lay heavy and matted where it showed. Despite this, they always smiled and spoke with enthusiasm when I came to talk and deliver food.

“Hmmm, nevs had peaches before… Tem would love tu try!” The three Temmies gathered around followed by the only one that called themselves Bob.

“Glad to hear it, are you guys feeling better with the stuff we’ve been bringing?” I busied myself with the can opener being careful not to spill any of the syrup as I twisted off the sealed top. 

We had learned quickly that wasting even a crumb of food was a high offense. The whole world became very much aware of the ritualistic fights monsters engaged in because a volunteer threw out some leftover rations. They called them encounters because violence is not the guaranteed outcome of being pulled into one.

“Very little bit better.” One of the Tems said, “Hooman food okay, no magic for us… but tasty!”

“You need to eat magic?” I set the can down and leaned back so the little monsters could gather around it. None of them responded as every iota of the peaches and juice was parceled out and consumed. Bob finished up first and settled down next to me.

“Monsters need magic, monsters made of magic, monsters turn tu dust if run out.” They explained.

I knew about dusting. It was one of the reasons the local authorities caved and began organizing help for the monsters. A monster dissolved on camera for everyone to see, leaving behind a glittering pile of dust and wailing creatures.

“How do you make magic food?” I got a few looks that I couldn’t even begin to pin down, but one of the Tems pipped up.

“Had core, core mak power, core help wit food, core magic. We grow food wit core power, magic food, keep us alive.”

The little monsters all nodded and another took over speaking. “Core broke, magic power gone, food stop growing. Tem flakes gone, no magic food.”

I frowned and looked at the empty can of peaches. “You can’t get magic food without the core then?” All of this information about monsters was so strange.

“Mmm no. Can grow, take moar tem. Also infuse! Use magic on food, mak magic, ver gud.” Temmie bounced sluggishly then huddled down next to the others.

My phone’s alarm went off, signaling that it was time to go back to the military camp. “I gotta go guys, I’ll see you later okay?” I stood up to a chorus of ‘boi!’ and wandered back over to the bus.

I was so ready for dinner and bed. The food at the military camp wasn’t the best but we weren’t starving like these poor creatures. I just wished that I could get back home. Some fresh food may help more than the dried and canned junk we were handing out. Maybe I could skip going to the monster camp in favor of getting them better food for the next visit? Only the morning would tell.

…

..

.

None of us went back to the monster camp the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ver gud.


	3. Back on My Feet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is truly abandoned on Ebott, not the monsters, not my house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working through writer's block on one fic by continuing another!
> 
> Chapter Warnings:  
Mentioned use of threatening with a firearm

I woke up to find The Federal Emergency Management Agency swarming through our camp. Interviewing the local and state authorities, talking to some of the volunteers, and generally inspecting and taking over the entire operation. 

On the plus side, we weren’t permanently kicked off of the mountain. I was able to retrieve my jeep and actually go home a few days after they took over. The quarantine on the entire mountain was lifted and shrunk down to the immediate area surrounding the monsters.

On the downside… I had been away for  _ far _ too long. Almost a full two months had passed since the evacuation. One cannot leave a functioning farm that long.

I had already surrendered to the idea that the garden would need to be almost completely scrapped and new sprouts would have to be planted. The orchard was fine, looking a little dry but the trees had been netted before my absence so the birds were unable to steal the sweet fruits.

I would need to apologize to my hens, they had been stuck in their outdoor coop. They weren’t in any danger in there and their space was about the size of a large bedroom, but the girls did like to get out and scratch around the property.

Finally Nyx… my sweet black cat. The poor thing had been stuck outside the house for two months. She’s a wonderful hunter and is very helpful in keeping the vermin out of the garden. But she also has a schedule, and that schedule had been thrown out the window. 

No coming into the house to sleep at the foot of my bed every night. No checking out my morning breath the minute my alarm went off. No warm spot to take over when I finally rolled out of bed. And no head scratches for the duration of my evacuation.

She was definitely mad at me.

* * *

Settling back in was easy, I didn’t take much off of the mountain when I left so a full load of laundry later, I was unpacked and airing out the house. Might as well get the interior dusted and nice again, I can start on the rest of the property tomorrow… tomorrow. I had said I would see the Temmies and Bob again. I hoped that the feds were treating them well.

That night I sat up in bed reading and showing Nyx that everything was back to normal. At least that’s what I tried to do. Just as I was settling down, the distinct sound of large footsteps could be heard outside my window

They didn’t sound like a deer, sometimes one or two would wander through but they were much quieter and always passed by. No. These moved purposefully into my garden. Next came the sound of stems snapping, yup, definitely not any normal wildlife. Whoever was out there had hands and was pulling food from my garden.

Two thoughts went through my mind as I rolled out of bed. One was: who the hell is in my garden? And: why were they after bolted crops?

Darting into my closet, I quickly got the gun safe open for my Winchester. Ammo was stored in a separate safe hidden next to my little bookshelf in the living room. A quick stop in there for some shells, then to the door.

Opening it just enough to peek out, I strained to listen for the intruder. The garden was around the side of the house so I couldn’t see if they were still there. Probably should go check. I only had to legally warn whoever once to get off of my property, then they would have to negotiate with a firearm.

The corner of the house was a good enough hiding spot. Peeking around the corner I nearly dropped the gun. A huge creature was hunched against the side of my house. It was too dark out to see any details but the thing was bone thin and intimidatingly tall. 

The creature’s face was peering into my window. My _ bedroom _ window. I could just see Nyx sitting on the other side of the glass staring down the monster in front of me. It had to be a monster from the mountain, but I hadn’t seen anyone that looked close to this one in the camp. Plus FEMA had shrunk the barricade so...where had it come from?

Then the monster spoke. “HELLO LITTLE CREATURE! YOU ARE INSIDE THE HOUSE NOW!” Their booming voice rocked through me and I had to retreat around the corner to make an attempt at settling my nerves. The monster continued to talk to my cat.

“DID THE OWNER OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT RETURN? I MUST SPEAK WITH THEM AND THANK THEM FOR THE FOOD FROM THIS MESSY GARDEN!” 

I ensured that the safety was on and pulled the shells from the gun. They may be starving, but I had yet to be threatened by a monster over food. The ones in the camp all seemed kind enough for their circumstances, and this one sounded like they only wanted to thank me. Even if they were trying to leave me a message through my cat.

“I MAY HAVE SOME POINTERS FOR THE MESSY PART, BUT THAT COULD POSSIBLY WAIT UNTIL AFTER I EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE. THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS SETTLES HIS DEBTS!”

The great Papyrus huh? 

“THANK YOU SMALL CREATURE! I WILL BE OFF NOW!”

I heard the monster step away from the house so I once again went to step around the corner, my heart hammering in my ears. Even in the dim light, I could tell that they were tall, at least nine-foot. Their silhouette hunched down to scoop the pile of vegetables off of the ground, then straightened up to stride towards me.

Under the assumption that I had been spotted, I tried to quickly hide my gun behind me and sucked in a breath to greet the monster… Only to freeze as they passed by uncomfortably close.

I must say that I stood frozen for an embarrassing amount of time. I have calmly stared down a bear that had climbed up to investigate me in a tree stand. I have (unwisely) tailed a moose and its calf, and I have chased off a pair of coyotes from the chicken pen with a baseball bat in my pajamas.

But the quiet passing of that skyscraper of a monster so close to me was chilling. The wildlife on the mountain breaths, they sniff around and investigate as they move over the land. They are aware of their surroundings.

If I had not had my hands behind my back to conceal my weapon, they would have run right into me. There was no breath in their body as they moved by, there was only a single track need to go, leaving behind a wild and vaguely citrusy scent. This sentient monster who apparently has had many conversations with my cat and has been raiding my garden did not act like any other creature I knew of on the mountain.

The unknown is terrifying.

The unknown is intriguing.

They were gone into the trees by the time I shook life back into my limbs. On autopilot, I took a walk around the property to ensure no other intruders were present. Everything was quiet, though that didn’t mean that there wasn’t anyone around.

Returning inside, the gun and ammo were locked away and I found myself unable to settle down enough to sleep. My eyes kept returning to my window. The monster had been looking in through it not too long ago, they had been speaking to my cat, but how long had they been peering in? I had taken the time to get into my gun safe before leaving the room, but there was no indication that I had been seen. Would it have been bad to be seen? 

Animals are unpredictable, every situation would bring a different reaction. Monsters weren’t animals though. They spoke, could build, and had a governing system. They were safe, of course they were safe… they were safe.

* * *

It actually made more sense as to why the garden wasn’t a total loss after the previous night. Even though there was a fair amount of produce that had bolted in the late summer heat, there was still quite a few rows that just needed some watering and weeding to coax the plants back to life.

The tell tail footprints of my visitor were all over the garden paths. There appeared to have been an attempt at watering several rows and there were a few small piles of a mixture of weeds and crops piled here and there. My sunflowers and marigolds were in the best shape. I wondered if they liked flowers.

After turning the irrigation on in the orchard and setting the hens loose, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. There were two months’ worth of chicken eggs to clear out. Not knowing which ones were new I had to send all of them to the compost pile. They would be needed anyway to rejuvenate the garden. 

The salvageable plants needed tending first. Weeds were pulled, followed by switching the water from the orchard to the drip tapes in the garden. My little plot of land wasn’t that big, but one person tackling the entire thing did eat up most of my day. The bolted crops would have to be dealt with tomorrow, I had some things to grab in town if I was going to get everything back to normal quickly.

I retreated back into the house to shower off the morning’s work and to make some lunch. 

“I won’t be gone long sweety, promise.” Nyx looked unconvinced at my reassurance but accepted the chin scratches. “Hold down the fort for me okay?” She gave me a little chirp in response before I headed out the door. 

It was a twenty-minute drive off of the mountain and into town. The perimeter around the monsters may have been moved but there was a check station along the road into town now.

After answering and proving that Yes, I live up here. Yes, I am aware that monsters are now living on the mountain. No, I do not have any monsters with me. And no, I do not want to be set up in a hotel until FEMA decides how to move forward with them. I was able to get on with my day.

I made a quick stop for garden supplies, then to the grocery for cat food and to replenish the perishables that had gone bad in my fridge.

_ * The monster queen Undyne has issued a warning regarding a small group of monsters that had refused to join the camp two weeks after the first group surfaced.  _

I paused by a row of TVs broadcasting the continuing negotiations with the new race.

_ * Residents on Mt. Ebott are advised to stay inside or evacuate until this group can be apprehended or brought back to the main camp. _

A shot of the fish woman talking with some officials showed in the background. 

_ *In other news. The discussed temporary monster community has been approved by the Ebott Architectural Review Commission and construction is slated to begin within the week. _

So they were going to get housing, that’s good. I tuned out on the rest of the report in favor of hunting down a good tub of ice cream. If I had to put a farm back together, I deserved ice cream.

I looked over the choices and had to wonder. Did the monsters know what ice cream was? If they did, what kind of flavors would they have? Would they like the flavors us humans came up with? 

Snagging a second tub, I moved to the checkout line pondering the news report. Was the monster from last night a part of this outside group that queen Undyne warned against? They didn’t seem all that dangerous. Though my only sighting of them was in the dark, and they didn’t know I was there. Who knows what could have happened if they had bumped into me.

_ “I MUST SPEAK WITH THEM AND THANK THEM FOR THE FOOD FROM THIS MESSY GARDEN.” _

A smile stretched over my face as I stood in line. They couldn’t be dangerous, no one who tried to leave a message with a house cat over some produce could be dangerous.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First impressions are everything ^_^


	4. Old Habits Die hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Checking traps just became a practice in survival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta da! Sorry about the long breaks in between chapters, I'm working on it I promise. I also have my dad who knows nothing of Undertale help edit this. Outside perspectives are important! Because of this I will be making a few changes to previous chapters to fix some holes and such.  
Enjoy!
> 
> Warnings for this chapter:  
Brief descriptions of blood and dead animals.

My night visitor didn’t show up that night, or the next night. I can’t say that I was overly disappointed. As curious as I was, I couldn’t afford to lose more crops this year.

News of the separated monsters continued to trickle in. Traces of small camps were discovered around the mountain. There couldn’t have been more than fifteen monsters in the group with how small the camps were compared to the main one. 

I even stumbled across an empty camp just a half-mile from my property while out on a trap check. There was a fair amount of fur scattered around a blackened campfire. What surprised me the most was the discovery of an empty booze bottle near the fire pit. It didn’t have a name that I recognized unless Grillby’s was a new brand I hadn’t heard of before.

I slipped the bottle into my pack and moved on, today was about getting some meat into the smoker. Moving off into the brush I searched for the traps I had set out the day before. There had to be a few wild turkeys left to wander into one or two.

The trees swayed above my head as I crunched through the brush. This wasn’t a hunting trip, I wasn’t trying to be stealthy. So I shouldn’t have felt weird at the knowledge of creatures’ eyes on me. 

It’s a strange feeling knowing that non-human eyes follow you through the brush. Birds watch you from the trees with the little forest animals that also reside there. I couldn’t see them, but I’m sure deer, foxes, and rabbits note my passing as I move down the trail at any time.

Usually, those thoughts would hit me then pass by. But there was definitely a very concentrated eye on me that day. I wasn’t sure at first, I had come upon the first trap to find it still set and empty. They couldn’t all be set off every time so I skirted around it and moved on. 

But when I needed to wade through a rather dense thicket of brush to get to the next trap, I definitely felt like I was being followed. Branches and thorns pulled at my clothing as I went, nothing unusual. Though a few times it felt more like fingers snagging in my hair, or holding onto my flannel. Though every time I had to pause to reclaim the caught item, it was either just a branch or nothing at all.

The second trap had caught something, not a big something. Ermines aren’t huge after all. But a catch was a catch and the meat would suffice. Taking down the trap, I stowed it and the ermine in my pack.

_ Snap! _

Something broke a nearby branch. A very large branch. Looking over towards the sound all I could see was brush… and maybe some blue? Maybe? Yup, that was definitely something blue. Huh. Standing up I tried to get a better look at whatever was in the brush. 

It moved. The blue shifted and shrunk back farther into the bushes until it was completely hidden from my view. Shit that sounded like a larger animal. This was not a good place to be to encounter something that big. The tangle of branches around me would keep me from getting away.

Pulling out my map, I quickly confirmed where I was in relation to the next trap. Not too far, but it would be the last one I would be able to check before needing to head back to the house. Smoking meat takes time and I only had the afternoon to get it started at this rate.

I made it out of the thicket in record time and clamored up a hill to walk along the ridge. Pausing to take a drink from my water bottle I took the chance to look around. It was so peaceful up on the mountainside. It was hard to believe that a few miles away there was a massive camp full of monsters. 

The Temmies were there, I hoped that they were doing okay, and that they got a chance to get some magic food. However that worked. Packing my water bottle away I shouldered the bag and began to head off. 

There was a large tree off to my right. I remember this tree distinctly because the second I passed it, the air filled with the cold scent of iron and ozone. At the time I had no connections to the scent and what it could tell me. It was just a strange smell to experience out in the woods.

In the end, I found nothing of interest around the tree and moved on. My mind was still on whatever was in the thicket with me before. It had definitely been watching me, as thankful as I was that it didn’t attack, I still wanted to put as much distance between me and that part of the woods as I could.

The last trap was by a stream. One could find crawdads occasionally here in the shallows and there was a decent fishing hole farther along. Sadly, I had not brought my pole along on this outing. Inwardly lamenting at the missed opportunity to fish for a while, I searched around for the trap.

It had definitely caught something, turkey by the looks of the area. But it seemed like something had gotten here before me. 

Feathers littered the ground along with a trashed trap and blood spots. The ground was dry and covered in leaves and other foliage so the likelihood of finding tracks was minuscule. Coyote maybe?

Searching around, I discovered another blood splotch, then further away were some feathers. There was a trail at least. Head down and eyes roving, I followed the signs. There wasn’t too much blood to lead me, mostly feathers. About a quarter of a mile into the chase I paused. 

If a coyote was dragging the kill, they would have stopped to tear it apart by now. Fuck, was I dealing with a mountain lion? They tended to take their prey all the way back to their dens. Glancing up and around me, I tried to keep my breathing even.

Coyotes I could chase off, bears could be spooked away sometimes, but mountain lions. They were around, and you did not want to tangle with one. They don’t spook, they follow you around then drop out of a tree and eat your face off. Nope, not going to risk it. Breaking away from the feather trail, I sprinted into the trees following the sound of the stream still nearby. I could follow it back up to familiar territory then get the fuck home.

The stream trickled by at the base of the hill I was standing on. Electing to stay at the top of the hill, I turned and moved upstream along the ridge, keeping the water on one side and the trees on the other so I wouldn’t have to pick my way over the rocks along the bank.

At least that’s what happened until I spotted a large blackberry bush down the hill. Hey! Something non-murdery! Out in the open! A tension I didn’t realize I was carrying in my shoulders eased as I eyed the hill for the best path down.

Decision made, I dropped down and quickly slid my way down the slope. Over the tumbling of dirt and rocks accompanying my descent, there was a loud crack. It was the sound an ax makes when it buries itself into a tree. A shot of adrenaline sped my descent but I didn’t look around as I concentrated on not rolling an ankle getting down to the bushes.

Stumbling to the bottom I looked back up at where I had dropped down. Was that a mark on that tree? Was that there before? I grit my teeth and turned in a full circle to take in my surroundings. First the thing in the thicket, then the whatever that had my catch, now this? Breathe, you were okay. Just get some berries then go home.

The thorny vines of the blackberry bushes waved cheerily in the faint breeze. Indulging in a few of the sweet fruits helped push the strange string of today's events into the back of my mind. Mayhaps I could skip smoking the little meat caught today in favor of making a pie.

My pack dropped to the ground. Stripping off my flannel, I tied it up to make a makeshift pouch. Now, I only had to battle the thorny bushes for enough of the little berries to fill it. Luckily, blackberry bushes are lush and relentless, spreading over a wide area along the stream dangling their small dark gems just within my reach.

As I filled my shirt, another’s hunger seemed to bleed into the area. The feeling didn’t come all at once. At first, the natural sounds of small woodland creatures going about their business faded away. As in, fled.

This normally wouldn't be too concerning. I would run too if a larger predator went crashing down a hill and started digging through the brush. However, my intrusion in the thicket shouldn’t have chased off every little animal in the immediate vicinity. Even the insects seemed to have hushed their incessant orchestra.

I was moving along the edge of the bush towards the stream, plucking berries that were within my reach. With the flannel acting as a bag, my t-shirt didn’t have the long sleeves to take the brunt of the thorns. 

Rocks shifted on the far side of the stream and I glanced around. No use startling a bear if I could avoid it and the mystery blue thing from the first trap was still circling in my mind. I wouldn’t want to add an angry bear to the list of dangerous encounters for the day.

...

That’s not a bear.

That’s a skeleton.

We stood frozen in our respective places, staring the other down. How were they alive? The top left side of their skull was gone, leaving behind a jagged hole as if someone or something had hit them with a heavy object. Their right socket was empty, a void of darkness that still seemed to be looking at me along with the giant red eye light taking up almost the entire other socket. 

Their clothes were torn and dirty. The supposedly white shirt under their faded blue hoodie hung open in places to show the ribs underneath. A pair of black shorts covered their lower half and I wasn’t even going to begin to guess the original color of the very muddy and worn house slippers on their feet.

The cursory glance over their apparel came quickly to a close at the woodsman’s ax clutched in one hand. The blade had a coating of blood along with a few stray feathers. Every instinct I had screamed at me to run but I remained rooted to my spot.

“...name’s sans.” The skeleton suddenly said. “sans the skeleton.” 

His voice was deep and halting. Like he wasn’t quite sure where he was going to end the sentence. The hand not holding onto the ax slowly raised and extended out over the stream for me to shake.

“Uh, hi.” I wasn’t about to risk falling into the stream for a handshake with an armed stranger, and I was definitely not going to put myself in grabbing range of them. That blue hoodie looked to be the same shade as the blue I had seen in the thicket. Had he been following me?

Not wanting to be totally rude in case that set him off or something I opted to introduce myself. “I’m Lelia the uh, human.” 

His hand stayed out for a beat longer, then it raised to his face. I tried not to grimace as those long fingers crept up his skull to hook into the unlit eye socket. His head tilted as he tugged at it. That grin of his was unsettling. Was this one of the monsters the news was warning about? He looked like he needed a warning to accompany him. I needed to get home, now.

“Well… It was nice to meet you Sans. Uh, enjoy the blackberries.” I backed away moving towards where I had left my pack. 

Sans watched my movements with his fingers still in that one socket, did that hurt? When I took my own eyes off of him to grab up my things and secure them to me I heard splashing. Whipping my head around I jumped back at the sight of him slogging through the stream and over to me.

“don’t you know how to greet a new pal?” He rumbled. The ax twitched in the one hand as his other was once again extended to me.

I stared wide-eyed at that feral grin and open palm. Every instinct in me screamed ‘don’t let him grab you!’ He was obviously not part of the main camp, and so was not getting whatever food and care I assumed FEMA was providing. This was a starving monster looking for the first thing to ea-.

Wait. The monsters were starving. They needed food. I had food on me. My hand shook as I pulled out a handful of berries from my makeshift bag and dropped them into his open hand. Was this what he meant by greeting a new pal?

“I’m not all that familiar with monster customs yet, sorry.” I tried for a smile and gestured at the bushes next to us. “Seriously, help yourself. Uh, I don’t think the bears and I could eat all of these. Just watch out for the thorns.” I internally cringed at that. He was a skeleton. Did thorns even affect him? Where would the blackberries even go if he ate them? Was he going to hit me with that ax now?

The blown eye light constricted and rolled down to inspect the berries before dilating and finding my face again. Smiling awkwardly I plucked a berry from a nearby vine and popped it in my mouth. Why did he stare so much?

“I, uh, really gotta head home now.” I tucked my picked fruits close to my chest and waved, backing up as far as I could before I absolutely had to turn to clamor back up the hill.

Making it to the top I peered down to see what he was doing.

He was gone. 

Just a wet set of footprints from where he had exited the stream to where he had just been and the faint scent of iron and ozone. That blue hoodie was nowhere to be seen from my vantage point. 

Chalking it up to some monster power that I knew nothing about, I hurried back home. Where there weren't any ax-wielding skeletons. And I could make pie.

…

Where I was safe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you though?
> 
> Come talk to me on my [Tumblr!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lady-lyrjok)


	5. Nothing but Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The visitor is back bearing gifts of all things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!  
I've made some edits to the previous chapters to help with story flow and to create more tension where it is needed so enjoy!
> 
> Chapter Warnings!  
Use of a firearm  
Minor description of skinning an animal

Sans was definitely one of the monsters the news was warning people about. Descriptions rolled in as sightings of monsters not contained in their camp began to crop up. I watched the headlines both attack and defend the rogue group. They were constantly on the move and always seemed to have ample warning of any incoming people to apprehend them.

I found a few more camps as the days went by. One even had still warm coals in the makeshift fire pit. Suffice to say, I didn’t leave the house without a firearm anymore. Sans hadn’t made any blatant moves to hurt me that I had seen when I had met him by the blackberries, but he definitely creeped me out. 

They were hunting too. I was finding less and less medium and large game in my immediate area. I had to stop putting out traps as more and more were found broken and empty of their catches each time I checked. Compounded with the fact that I couldn’t spend as much time hunting or fishing as I would have liked due to more of my time being spent revitalizing the garden. My freezer was starting to run low. 

Plus side? That blackberry bush was closer than the one I had previously known about, and after a cautious second trip there and back. I could make pie. 

The berries had been rinsed and drained and were ready to be tossed into a bowl with sugar, lemon, cinnamon, almond extract, and quick tapioca. My phone sat nearby playing music as I folded the ingredients together and sang along.

_ Struck by lightning, sounds pretty frightening _

_ But you know the chances are so small _

_ Stuck by a bee sting, nothing but a bee thing, _

_ Better chance you’re gonna buy it at the mall. _

_ But it’s a twenty-three or four to one that you could fall in love by the end of this song _

_ So get up get up tell the bookie “put a bet up” _

_ Not a damn thing will go wrong. _

Finishing up mixing the filling, I slid the bowl to the side to rest while I began mixing things together for the pie crust. Homemade pie crust was always the best, my mom had finally sent me her recipe after months of me not so subtly dropping hints that I wanted it.

Nyx jumped up on a stool then leapt over the counter to weave her way through the plants in the bay window to look out. She wasn’t allowed on the counters but she loved the warm window seat. As long as she didn’t set foot on my countertops or eat my herbs, she could have her sunspot. She let out a happy little trill and flopped over as I danced at the counter kneading dough.

_ The odds are that we will probably be alright _

_ Odds are we're gonna be alright _

_ Odds are we're gonna be alright tonight _

The dough rolled out under my pin and was transferred to the pie tin. As I reached for the filling bowl, Nyx poked her head back through the herbs and chirped at me. I smiled and chirped back. She blinked and disappeared back to her spot.

Spooning in the filling, I then quickly rolled out the other dough ball and sealed it over the top. The oven beeped letting me know it was pre-heated. Cutting out a few holes to vent steam, I slid the pie in and set a timer.

As I was washing out the prep dishes, Nyx left her spot to stare at me again. I was singing along to the next song on my phone and wasn’t paying her or my window much attention. Until she full-on meowed at me. 

Now, Nyx isn’t much of a talker. She mostly only lets out little chirps or growls to communicate. Her purrs are loud but very rarely does she yell at me.

“What?” I go to poke her with a soapy finger but she dodges and heads back to the glass. “Is there a bird? Just go outside weirdo, the window in the other room is open.” I glance out at the sunny orchard just outside the window. I didn’t see any birds but that didn’t mean she didn’t.

She meowed again and emerged from the plants to jump back to the stool then down to the floor before trotting out. I snort and finish up with the dishes.

There was still some time left on the pie to bake so I pulled out my canning book. What was currently harvestable could be preserved for later. If I wasn’t careful, I could lose out on getting the pantry stocked for the colder seasons.

The timer went off sometime later startling me out of my reading. Beautiful, I could leave it to cool and work on getting something else done. I took the pie with me into the living room and left it on the window sill. It would cool off faster and I would be able to smell it while outside, win-win!

Mrrroooww!

“YES HELLO TINY CREATURE! I HAVE RETURNED!”

The sound of someone else’s voice talking to my cat had me bolting for the front door. It was the same voice belonging to that hulking monster from my first night back home. Bursting through the door, my wild eyes landed on a strange scene. 

Nyx was sitting a fair distance away, staring intently at a tall gangly skeleton manhandling a three-point buck… a  _ live _ three-point buck. 

Of course, me being the eloquent speaker that I was. Said the perfect thing for a situation like this.

“What the actual fuck?!”

The skeleton’s head lifted to gaze in my direction. Cracked and jagged teeth stretched into a smile and they proceeded to haul the protesting animal towards me.

“HUMAN! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” 

I backed into my doorway as the swinging antlers of the deer scraped against the… armor? Covering Papyrus’s ribs.

“Shit… Uh, hi. That’s a deer, why do you have a live deer?”

I had thought meeting the Temmies had been weird. Thought Sans’s introduction had been freaky. This was far too much of both.

Papyrus’s tiny sockets squinted down at me as he cheerily presented the terrified creature. “AS I’M SURE YOUR FRIEND OVER THERE HAS INFORMED YOU,” he nodded towards Nyx, “I ALWAYS REPAY MY DEBTS.” 

“...”

“I’M AFRAID MY BROTHER ALWAYS DOES THE BUTCHERING BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ASSIST IN PACKAGING UP THE MEAT!”

I was speechless. What does one do in this situation? He was easily holding onto a fully grown buck as it struggled for freedom like it was nothing! Who was his brother? Why are his teeth so fucked up? Why is he shouting everything he says? Why haven’t I responded yet?!

“...Uh… I-I can take care of the deer… hold… hold on.”

Backing the rest of the way into the house I wandered into my room for a pistol. One thing at a time. Maybe this won’t be so weird once I wasn’t having to divide my attention between the wild animal and the monster.

“WHAT IS THAT?” Papyrus eyed the gun in my hand as I emerged from the house.

One thing at a time.

“It’s a pistol. Can you uh, hold the head still?”

He nodded and pinned the animal between his legs so he could hold onto the head by the antlers. I had never seen a deer this panicked and I felt almost bad as I clicked off the safety and fired.

Papyrus dropped the deer and blinked in surprise at the smoking gun. It was a clean shot from very close, the deer would not need to have its throat cut to make sure it was dead.

On autopilot, I returned to my room for my cleaning kit. This was the second skeleton I had come into contact with this week. Papyrus didn’t give off the ‘I’m going to cut your head off’ vibe the other guy had but he was still freakishly tall and oddly nice. Opting to tuck my pistol into my jeans, I headed back out with the kit. This was my day now, one thing at a time.

Papyrus had picked up the buck and was cradling it against his chest by the time I got back outside. I had him follow me to a pair of trees on the edge of the property. A thick branch had been lashed horizontally in between them a few feet over my head.

I indicated to the ground underneath it and Papyrus set the deer down. He turned to me questioningly as I pulled out a slender knife.

“ARE YOU PLANNING ON CUTTING IT UP WITH THAT?” He asked.

I jumped, his voice was so loud and my nerves were far too frayed to deal with it.

“THAT IS FAR TOO SMALL, YOU’LL NEED A LARGER BLADE. MY BROTHER SANS HAS AN AX THAT IS EXCELLENT FO-”

“You’re brother is  _ Sans _ ?” I interrupted. My knife hovered over the soft belly of the deer where I had pinched up some skin to cut open. 

Papyrus squatted down next to me and practically folded himself in half to hunch down to my level. “YOU KNOW SANS? I DO HOPE HE BEHAVED HIMSELF.” His face was uncomfortably close to mine. “HE’S BEEN HAVING TROUBLE INTERACTING WITH OTHERS FOR A WHILE NOW.”

His face fell and he leaned back so he could straighten his spine. Even sitting, he towered over me as I hunched over the deer. I felt a strong urge to comfort this strange monster who’s brother I was almost positive would have happily chopped me up if I hadn’t kept such a close eye on him.

“He was okay.” Papyrus looked down at me. “I met him by some blackberry bushes and uh, he introduced himself… and I gave him some of my blackberries.” That was as non-threatening as I could describe our encounter without fear of offending him.

Papyrus continued to stare at me so I busied myself with the animal needing to be cleaned. He shifted farther away as I gutted, beheaded, and sliced open the calves so it could be strung up. He did help hoist the deer up on the ropes tossed over the cross beam and hovered around uncertainty as I started skinning it. He wouldn’t look at it as he fidgeted over me. 

“So, you’re not with the big camp?” I made an attempt to break the silence as I worked.

“NO,” He sounded sad. “I DON’T THINK WE WOULD BE WELCOME.”

“Why not?”

“CAPT- … QUEEN UNDYNE AND I AREN’T ON THE BEST OF TERMS ANYMORE. BUT NOT TO WORRY! I HAVE MANY OTHER FRIENDS IN OUR SNOWDIN FAMILY!”

I paused at that and looked up at him. “You were friends with the queen? That’s pretty cool.”

His broken teeth ground together as he stared off into the distance. Must be a touchy topic.

“... Did the vegetables help?” I tried to make conversation again. “From the garden I mean?” I finished stripping the deer of its hide and started moving back towards the house. Papyrus followed.

“OH YES! YOUR HUMAN PRODUCE WAS A GREAT HELP!” He beamed down at me as I handed him the end of a hose. “I TRUST YOUR TINY COMPANION EXPRESSED MY GRATITUDE PROPERLY.” 

I snorted and disappeared into my shed for a nozzle for the hose and a blow torch. Sans was intimidating, but Papyrus was proving to be a big cinnamon roll. A bit strange, but I would be too if I had lived under a mountain for who knows how long. 

Finding what I needed, I returned to my helper and showed him how to screw the nozzle onto the hose and lead him back over to the skinned deer. He got quieter as we approached so I took the hose and sent him back along it to the spigot to turn on and off while I rinsed off the kill. 

He followed instructions well and was eager to help out with anything that didn’t involve working on the deer. Fortunately, the only thing left to do before cutting up the meat was to torch off any remaining hairs and dispose of the unusable parts.

“Hey,” I grunted as I lowered the deer into a lined wheelbarrow. “You hungry?”

He opened his jaw to respond but quickly shut his mouth in favor of looking out into the trees.

“Cuz I’m hungry, want some pie? I just made it earlier today.”

Those tiny sockets blinked owlishly down at me as he followed me back down to the house. I maneuvered the wheelbarrow into the shed and managed to wrestle the deer onto a clean work table then covered it. I would cut it up later.

“Come on.” I waved at him as I passed on my way to the front door. He trailed behind and had to duck down to get into the house.

The pie was still sitting on the window sill where I had left it. Nyx had come back in with us and was weaving around Papyrus’s feet chirping up at him.

“She likes to be scratched behind the ears.” I called over my shoulder as I retrieved the now cool pie and moved into the kitchen. Dropping the cleaning knives into the sink, I scrubbed the gore from my hands. The pistol in my pocket bumped against the counter as I moved to pull out a clean knife.

Pausing, I pulled it out and stared at it. Papyrus had been nothing but kind this whole time. Loud, sure. But not threatening. Taking a deep breath in, I set the gun aside and concentrated on cutting up the pie. One thing at a time.

When I re-entered the living room I had to giggle at the sight of Papyrus sitting very still on the couch with his hands folded in his lap and his long legs extended out across the floor. Nyx had jumped up on the back of the couch and had her front paws on his shoulder. His head was tilted down to her as she stretched her neck up to sniff at him.

“She must like you.” I said, handing him a plate with a slice of pie on it. “She usually doesn’t go up to people she doesn’t know.”

“OH, WE KNOW EACH OTHER.” He said. Nyx flinched at his loud voice and hopped down to curl up on the cushion next to him with a huff. “WE SPOKE OFTEN WHEN I VISITED YOUR GARDEN!”

“Aww, Nyx did you make a new friend while I was away?” I grinned and sank into the chair opposite the other two with my slice. Papyrus had been staring down at his pie but jerked his head up at my words.

“YOU THINK THAT WE’RE FRIENDS?” He sounded so hopeful.

“Yea.” I couldn’t tell him that I was joking about my cat. “Of course!” 

Oh, that smile could melt an iceberg. Was he… glowing? Yup, his cheekbones were literally glowing a faint clementine. He looked down at my cat and gave her a tender pat.

“MY FIRST FRIEND ON THE SURFACE!”

Nyx started purring at the gentle pats and I just… the giant skeleton in front of me was tearing up over this. How? Where did those orange tears even come from?

I ate my pie slice in silence while I watched him hold an entire one-sided conversation with Nyx. 

“W-WELL OF COURSE YOU COULDN’T RESIST WANTING TO BE FRIENDS WITH ME! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL!” He fidgeted with the pie plate but didn’t move to eat it. “I MUST WARN YOU TINY CREATURE, I HAVE VERY HIGH STANDARDS FOR FRIENDSHIP AND WILL NOT CHANGE THEM SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU ARE THE FIRST SURFACE CREATURE TO WANT TO BE MY FRIEND! TELL ME, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON CONVEYOR BELTS?”

I raised my brows and cleared my throat. “How about you give me your opinion on my pie?”

Papyrus shot me a look then gazed down at his slice. “I…” His teeth gnashed together and I winced. That looked painful. Could he eat with teeth like that? Could he eat at all being a skeleton?

“I APPRECIATE YOU OFFER HUMAN. I WOULD DEARLY LOVE TO TRY YOUR PIE BUT… I MUST GET BACK SOON AND THE OTHERS WON’T HAVE ANY.”

This skeleton. This skeleton who dragged a live deer onto my property as a gift and cried over being friends with my cat was turning down food he desperately needed because the others he was with didn’t have any? He was too sweet for this world.

“I can always make another pie, you can take the rest of this one back to your friends.” I say.

He blinked at me then down at his slice again. He took up the fork and speared off the tip of the piece. It hovered in front of his mouth for far too long. It was as if he was in an argument with himself over whether or not he should be doing this. I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or concerned.

The bite eventually disappeared behind those jagged teeth and his fork clicked quietly onto the plate. He was crying again. Shit, I didn’t think my cooking was that bad. 

“Uh, you don’t have to eat it if you don’t like it.”

“IT’S GOOD.” 

“Oh.”

He sniffed and set the plate down on the armrest. “THANK YOU HUMAN, IT’S VERY GOOD. I SHOULD GO.”

He went to stand and I bolted up from my seat. “Let me get the rest for you!” 

Before he could protest I hurried into the kitchen and grabbed up the pie tin. There was still a huge section left. I didn’t know how many monsters were in his group but I hoped that they could all at least get a little bit of it. I decided to forgo wrapping the top, it would just turn into garbage anyway and I was pretty sure the monsters didn’t carry trash bags with them.

“Here.” I thrust the pie tin into his hands. “Oh, and this.” I pushed his unfinished slice back into the tin.

Papyrus stared down at the offered tin, shoulders and back hunched to fit under my roof. Then his long slender fingers reached out to take it. For a brief second one hand wrapped around my wrist in a tight grip. The bone was solid but I could feel small cracks and chips pressing their sharp edges into my skin.

“You okay?”

The stare I was getting said he was definitely not okay, but my words caused his fingers to twitch open. Those tiny sockets blinked rapidly and the pie tin was pulled from my hands.

“THANK YOU HUMAN.”

“You can call me Lelia… Don’t think I actually introduced myself earlier.” I scratched my cheek. “You had a live deer and all, so… thanks for that, by the way. Uh, enjoy the pie.”

That was the most awkward jumble of words I had ever strung together. Papyrus didn’t seem to mind, his smile was back and he waved with the hand not holding the pie tin.

“YOU’RE WELCOME HUMAN LELIA! I ALWAYS PAY MY DEBTS!” He glanced down at the pie. “THOUGH I MAY STILL OWE YOU AT THIS POINT.”

I shrugged and walked with him back outside. “What? Oh, no! Don’t think anything of it. Really, I can just make another.”

He hummed and bobbed his head then abruptly turned and strode off, waving over his shoulder. I waved back and stared after him as he disappeared into the trees. How a huge moving monster like him actually disappeared into the trees was a mystery to me but he somehow accomplished it. 

Welp. Time to butcher a deer.

That a sentient skeleton brought to me. Alive.

Slow breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. 

One thing at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horror Papyrus always gets me. He's such a bean!
> 
> Music in this chapter:  
Odds Are - Barenaked Ladies


	6. Eyes so Dark, How Do You Even See?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are close by, why are they so close by?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can write for two fics no problem guys, this one just kinda takes the back burner more often than I'd like. So lets continue our adventure in getting to know our terrifying monster friends!
> 
> Chapter Warning!  
Descriptions of starving monsters  
Panic attack

“We need the mushrooms, onions, and garlic all chopped. Can you do that for me?”

“OF COURSE!”

Papyrus became a regular visitor. Every time he stopped by he brought either a live animal or some wild produce. It was a little strange that he brought exclusively live animals, but there was no way I was going to turn away meat. Especially since my traps were all coming back empty or broken.

He would show up at my door, gifts in hand. I would either take the produce inside or kill the animal and hang it in the shed to properly clean later. Papyrus always shied away from being around the animal once it was dead and I wasn’t about to let my spooky guest be uncomfortable while I butchered something.

Today we were making stroganoff with some of the venison from the first catch.

“I DIDN’T KNOW HUMANS WERE SO EXACT IN THEIR COOKING!” He was saying as he squinted down at the recipe book in between us.

“It’s not required but recipes give amounts based on proportions.” I was chopping the venison into little stew pieces. “You don’t want to add too much of one thing and too little of another.”

“I CAN SEE HOW THAT WOULD CHANGE THE FLAVOR.” 

I snorted and glanced over at the large pot of water that was just starting to simmer on the stove. There had been some deliberation over the best way to boil water of all things. Papyrus was a little perplexed at how human stoves worked but came around to the process after being shown once.

Finishing up the meat, I hovered my hand over the skillet next to the water pot. Perfect, it was ready to go.

As the meat tumbled from the cutting board to the skillet, Papyrus flinched and dropped his knife. I glanced over at him in question but he was shuffling his own cutting board away. He took up his knife again and continued dicing the veggies so I assumed that he had just been surprised at the hissing of the meat cooking.

“MAY I?” He gestured to the herbs in the bay window.

I shrugged and nodded. “Go for it.”

I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he plucked herbs and crushed them between his fingers until he had a little ball of strong smelling leaves. Coming up behind me he gestured to the meat with the little bundle. I nodded and moved my spatula out of the way.

The herbs popped in the little bit of grease cooked from the venison making me flinch back as a scalding droplet hit my skin. A boney hand wrapped around my upper arm, yanking me away from the stove.

“ARE YOU OKAY?”

“Ah, yea, it’s just a bit of grease.”

“GREASE? OH NO SMALL HUMAN, PLEASE LET ME FINISH THE VENISON.”

“It’s fine Papyrus, it’s not gonna kill me.” His hand was still gripping my arm.

“HUMAN, YOU HAVE MEAT UNDER YOUR SKIN.”

“I mean… yea.”

“IF YOUR STOVE IS HOT ENOUGH TO COOK THIS, IT CAN COOK YOU, ALLOW ME TO TAKE CARE OF IT.” His teeth were somehow pulled into a tight grimace as he held me away with one hand and stirred the meat around with the other. His fingers bit into my skin and I could feel the circulation being cut off.

“Yea okay, I’ll finish up the veggies.” I said in a rush, his grip loosened at my words and he let go with a gasp when he glanced down at me. Muttering an apology, he pushed me in front of the other cutting board.

Once free, I escaped to the sink to wash my hands so I could handle the produce. Taking a peek at my arm, I wasn’t surprised to see a large red hand print where he had grabbed me. This was the first time we had attempted to cook a meal together. His aversion to dealing with meat seemed to take a backseat when it was on the stove… or perhaps because I had been hurt.

The rest of the food prep went smoothly. The herbs Papyrus had added made the kitchen smell heavenly as I finished dicing the veggies.I had him saute them before showing him how to combine everything with the browned meat, beef broth, and cream of mushroom soup.

He had already started the egg noodles in the boiling water so we didn’t have to wait long after the sauce was done to plate our food. I snagged a bowl of cherries before we moved outside to eat. I felt like my house was too small to hold my tall monster friend so we had taken to hanging out at the picnic table next to the orchard.

“THEY WOULD MAKE YOU SMELL DELICIOUS!” Papyrus was explaining an old puzzle of his from where he used to live underground before the famine. “BLUE TILES WERE WATER TILES, YOU COULD SWIM THROUGH BUT IF YOU SMELLED LIKE ORANGES YOU WOULD BE BITTEN BY PIRANHAS!”

“Oh my.” I chewed at a cherry and spat out the pit. “How did you get piranhas for a puzzle like that?”

“BUT IF THE BLUE TILE WAS NEXT TO A YELLOW TILE, YOU WOULD BE ZAPPED WITH ELECTRICITY ONCE YOU MOVED INTO THE WATER!” Wait, what? “NEXT ARE PURPLE TILES, THEY WERE COVERED IN SLIPPERY SOAP MAKING YOU SLIDE TO THE NEXT TILE. THE SOAP SMELLED LIKE LEMONS, WHICH PIRANHAS DON’T LIKE.”

Was this even a real puzzle?

“AND FINALLY THERE ARE THE PINK TILES!”

“Wait, hold up Papyrus.”

“THEY DIDN’T DO ANYTHING SO YOU COULD STEP ON THEM ALL YOU LIKED!” Papyrus finished up his explanation with a smile and carefully worked some of the stroganoff into his mouth.

That… was a detailed puzzle. I didn’t understand how all of those tiles could be quickly randomized but I had to take his word for it. “Huh, sounds like you made a lot of puzzles.”

Papyrus finished his bite and nodded. “PUZZLES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF MONSTER CULTURE! I’M JUST EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AT THEM!”

I tried to hide my snort behind a forkful of stroganoff. One thing I learned about Papyrus was that he could twist any sort of comment into something positive about himself.

“Monster culture?” I asked instead.

“OH YES! A LOVING TRADITION OF SUFFERING THROUGH HORRIBLE PUZZLES FOR NO REASON!” His face contorted. “EXCEPT HOTLAND, THEY THOUGHT THAT CONVEYOR BELTS AND STEAM VENTS WERE PUZZLES. RIDICULOUS IN MY OPINION.”

“Oh?”

“YES! AND THEY MADE IT WORSE BY ADDING LASERS!” He sounded genuinely offended by the prospect and he shoved another forkful of food behind his crooked teeth in anger.

“Did, uh, did your brother make puzzles too?” I attempted to change the subject from Hotland’s offense against monster culture to his brother.

Papyrus shrugged. “SANS WAS NEVER ONE FOR PUZZLES, TOO LAZY.” 

He went silent and pushed his food around his plate. I guess that was all I was going to learn about that. “Welp, let me pack up the rest of the stroganoff while you finish that yea?”

He nodded absently as he carefully chewed. Seeing a skeleton eat was strange. It was like there was a void inside his mouth that took the food away once he was done chewing it. If I was being honest, there were more than a few times where I wanted to look up through his rib cage to see if I could catch a glimpse of anything being swallowed.

I didn’t do it, I just wanted to.

We had cooked a fair amount of stroganoff. I always had a habit of cooking way too much pasta whenever I made it in the first place. But with Papyrus here and the knowledge that I would be sending most of the meal with him back to his camp, I ended up with enough noodles and sauce to feed a small nation.

Which was kinda what I was doing. I shoveled as much as I could into several large tupperware tubs, leaving a small one for myself for later.

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO GIVE US THAT MUCH.”

I yelped and spun around to find Papyrus hunched in the kitchen archway with his now empty plate in hand. Placing a hand on my chest, I willed my heart to calm down. He was just a nine-foot tall skeleton monster, a nice nine-foot tall skeleton monster who was unnervingly stealthy.

“Geez Papyrus, you scared me.” I laughed and busied myself with the tupperware again. “But there is no way I could eat all of this before it goes bad. It’s best you take it.”

My guest made it over to the sink and deposited his plate next to mine. “ARE YOU SURE?” 

I nodded and stacked the filled containers on top of each other. “All yours!”

Papyrus wrung his fingers together. The bone on bone sound sent the hairs on the back of my neck on end but I kept my smile in place.

“COULD YOU-? I MEAN… WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT MY CAMP?”

I sucked in a breath to respond, but ended up letting it back out. Did I want to go to his camp with him? The thought had crossed my mind once or twice. I had only run across the abandoned ones previously and I was curious. But… Sans would probably be there. Our only encounter had shaken me and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to greet that unhinged smile again.

“I UNDERSTAND IF YOU DON’T WANT TO!” Papyrus was saying. “I WOULD JUST FEEL BETTER IF EVERYONE KNEW YOU… SEEING AS WE’VE BEEN STAYING IN THIS AREA FOR LONGER THAN ANY OTHER.”

Well that explained several things. I had chalked up a few of my broken traps to the rouge monster group but I had thought that they had moved on. And it also explained the frequency of Papyrus’s visits. They must be close by.

“THEY SHOULD KNOW YOU ARE A FRIEND! A-AND NOT UM… NOT TO BE BOTHERED! YES! I CAN’T HAVE MY HUMAN FRIEND ACCIDENTALLY UH, BOTHERED BECAUSE I DIDN’T INTRODUCE YOU PROPERLY!” Papyrus squinted down at me, his fingers still twisting around each other.

If it was just an introduction so I wouldn’t have strange monsters after me, I guess that would be fine. “Yea, okay.” I said.

The second the words left my mouth, I had a very large skeleton lifting me into the air. The air in my lungs was squeezed out of me as I was held in a bone-crushing embrace. My legs wobbled as I was set back down and given a pat on the head.

“LET’S GO THEN!” Papyrus crowed.

“Wait, we’re going now?” I wheezed.

My house guest was scooping up the tupperware on the counter.

“NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT!” He crowed.

“Okay, hold on a second.” I followed him into the living room but paused. Papyrus froze with his hand on the door knob. Why did he look so distressed?

“Uh, just let me grab something.” Why couldn’t I say no to him? My companion nodded and waited patiently by the door.

Dashing to my room, I pulled my pistol from the safe. I had kept a box of rounds in my bed side table after the recent events and I loaded and stashed my weapon. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Papyrus. I just trusted my aim more if his monster friends didn’t take to me like he did.

“Okay, I’m ready.” I reentered the living room and took the top container of tupperware from Papyrus who was crouched down to scratch at Nyx’s ears.

“EXCELLENT!” He boomed. Nyx chirped at him and flounced away. I laughed and followed him out the door.

The trek through the woods was uncomfortably short. I had no idea that this rogue camp was so close to my property. Glancing up at my companion, I wondered if he was keeping this group close by because of me. 

A low bark sounded up ahead and Papyrus’s steps slowed. I stayed a few steps behind… just in case. The bark came again and a large bi-pedal dog stepped out of the brush.

“LESSER!” Papyrus greeted, “I HAVE RETURNED!”

The monster he had addressed as Lesser tilted its head to the side and sniffed the air. Its matted fur clung to its thin body. The clothes it had on were dirty and torn, hanging loose from its frame. It yipped and came forward nosing around the containers in Papyrus’s arms and whining.

“GOOD NOSE! THIS IS WHAT IS CALLED STROGANOFF!” He glanced over his shoulder at me for confirmation. I nodded and he went back to addressing Lesser. “HERE TAKE THIS TO THE REST OF THE UNIT! I’M SURE YOU’LL ENJOY IT!”

Lesser had apparently taken notice of me when Papyrus had looked my way. Bounding forward it halted in front of me panting wildly. Sucking in a breath, I clenched my jaw and forced myself to stay still. A wet nose poked at my cheek and arms before discovering the tupperware in my hands. The dog monster whined and glanced at Papyrus who was hovering over it.

“NO LESSER, TAKE THE CONTAINER! IT HAS ALREADY COOKED FOOD IN IT!” He said.

Lesser whined again but pawed at the container until I let go. Gathering the food to its chest, Lesser gave another yip then turned to lope off the way it came.

I found another container being deposited into my arms. “IT’LL BE EASIER IF YOU’RE PROVIDING.” He mumbled. 

I nodded, numb with relief at the successful interaction. The fact that I wasn’t attacked on sight bolstered my confidence enough to convince my legs it was a good idea to keep moving forward.

Papyrus stooped down and held aside a thick tangle of brambles for me. Stepping past him I found myself in a clearing. And faced with unfamiliar monsters. All of whom had eyes on me.

“Papyrus?” A scrawny bunny monster stood from her place next to an empty fire pit. “Why do you have a human? I thought you were done eat-”

“I AM!” Papyrus’s presence over your shoulder was calming. “THIS IS MY HUMAN FRIEND LELIA! SHE HAS FOOD FOR US!” 

I smiled in what I hoped was a friendly smile, and held up the tupperware in my arms. My mouth felt far too dry to attempt anything else.

The bunny woman stared at me a while longer then glanced over at a giant wolf monster nearby. Wasted muscles showed clearly through his fur as his dull eyes rolled over me. He growled and turned away which was enough for the bunny to approach.

“Are you the one who has been sending meals back with Paps?” She asked. At my nod her face softened. “He’s asserted himself into your life too huh?” She nodded at Papyrus as she took the container from me.

“Yea, pretty much.” I replied, thankful for the normal conversation.

“Well, you won’t find me turning down food. Thank you, human.” She turned and moved back to her seat next to the wolf. Calling out, two smaller bunnies in dirty striped shirts came running over to her.

They crowded close to her legs as she retrieved some dishes from a bag by her feet and began serving out the cold stroganoff. Only after the littles received a full plate, did the wolf accept food as well. 

It’s rude to stare, I knew it was rude but I couldn’t take my eyes off of the furry monsters as they ate. Thin fingers tapped at my shoulder and a third container broke my line of sight. I tore my eyes away to look up at Papyrus, he was smiling down at me, the final full tupperware pressed to his chest with his other hand.

Taking the one offered to me, he turned on his heel and moved off through the clearing. His long legs ate up the ground, forcing me to jog after him. We passed a trio of dog monsters all huddled together. I recognized Lesser who let out a bark and bounded over to me. 

I slowed to a stop and greeted him. “Hey uh, Lesser. Did you have some of the stroganoff?”

Lesser wagged his tail and pranced around me.

“Lesser? Who’s there? (Red rating!)” Two more dogs stood and hobbled closer. Their eyes passed over me more than once. Were they blind? One of the dogs was supporting the other who was missing a leg. My stomach twisted at the disfigurement. With how much filth was tangling their fur, I wondered if the wound had been treated correctly.

“You… You’re a human! (Human in the camp!)” The one who had all of their limbs lashed out with their claws while the other growled.

“DOGAMY! WAIT!” Fingers hooked into the back of my shirt and I was hauled out of the other two’s striking range. 

My hand automatically went to my pocket where I had stowed my pistol but Papyrus had moved in front of me to scold the other monsters.

“THE HUMAN IS MY GUEST! SHAME ON YOU!”

The one he had called Dogamy snarled. “It’s a  _ human _ Papyrus. Only good for the fire!” The monster at his side growled agreement.

“THIS IS THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN GIVING US FOOD!” Papyrus protested.

“For how long though?” Dogamy whined. “You should know better Papyrus, the last human you said you befriended left us to waste away under this stars forsaken mountain!”

Papyrus drew up to his full height. A hint of a citrusy smell hit my nostrils and the camp went dead silent. All I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears as I stood rooted to my spot, one hand clenched around the butt of my concealed gun and surrounded by monsters.

“FRISK… TRIED THEIR BEST.” Papyrus murmured. “THEY WERE A CHILD.”

Dogamy growled but didn’t say anything.

“THIS HUMAN, SHE’S OUT OF STRIPES AND HAS BEEN ACTIVELY ASSISTING US!” Papyrus continued. “THE FOOD LESSER JUST BROUGHT TO YOU WAS FROM HER AND YOU GO AND ATTACK HER!” You could hear bones rattle and you noticed your friend’s empty hand curl into a fist.

“WE’VE HAD ENOUGH MINDLESS COLLECTION OF EXP AND LV. WE’RE ON THE SURFACE NOW! WE HAVE FOOD!” His voice cracked and my body was spurned forward.

“Pap it’s okay.” I wrapped my fingers around his fist.

“IT’S NOT!” He jerked away from my touch as he turned to face me. Those orange tears were back in his tiny sockets. I opened my mouth, unsure of what to say but wanting to try anyway. Papyrus spoke first.

“IT’S NOT OKAY HUMAN LELIA. YOU ARE GOOD!” He shot a look at Dogamy then pressed a hand to my back to guide me away. 

A humanoid bird-like creature stood as we approached. Next to them was a flickering monster who was curled into a ball on the ground. Or did they have a fire going? Nope, definitely a monster. It had clothes on and… where those eyes?

Papyrus wordlessly handed off his tupperware container to the bird-man as he steered me past. We didn’t travel much farther. He removed his hand from my back at the tree line. The sudden lack of forward momentum made me stumble but I managed to stay upright. Papyrus however collapsed on the ground, leaning up against the nearest tree, mumbling and wiping at his sockets.

“THEY’RE GOOD.” I heard him whisper. “THEY’RE MY FRIEND. THEY’RE HELPING. THEY’RE GOOD, THEYREGOODTHEYREGOODTHEYREGOOD!”

I was once again rooted to my spot. Though this time the fear was not for me. Was this a panic attack? Was he having a panic attack right now? 

I looked around for anyone who would be able to help. This was brand new territory. I lived alone with my cat. The people I knew in town were acquaintances only and my family was neurotypical enough that I had never had to deal with this sort of thing growing up.

I didn’t care that I was surrounded by monsters at the moment. I had a gun, my safety wasn’t entirely in jeopardy. My friend however, was melting down in front of me and I had no clue of how to help him.

“Step back human.”

I whirled around at the voice to find the bunny monster from before coming towards me followed by the wolf monster. She gestured at me and I moved away from the shaking skeleton.

“Is he going to be okay?” I asked. The bunny looked me over in a contemplative manner then over at Papyrus. The wolf monster had settled onto the ground nearby and was growling something at him.

“He will be.” She said. “If his brother were in camp he would take care of him, but since he is out hunting, we just have to let this run its course.”

I sucked in a breath to protest.

“I know, I would like to help too but… he doesn’t have much control over his magic anymore. You would most likely end up hurt if you got too close.” She sounded so resigned to it. “Ice Wolf knows a few ways to help him calm down but, that’s all we can do at this point.” She continued, I had to wonder how often Papyrus had these episodes for her to be so calm in the face of one.

“The underground was not kind human, even before the famine.”

I turned at the new voice to find the bird-man from before. He was sitting on the ground next to the flaming monster trying to get him to eat a fork full of stroganoff.

“It was a prison after all.” The bunny woman said.

“A prison?” I asked.

The two monsters exchanged looks, then I was ushered onto a log near the shivering fire monster where I could still keep an eye on Papyrus.

“Let’s see, where to begin.” The bird wondered. He took up another fork-full of food to offer to the flickering flames.

“If she doesn’t know that the mountain was basically our prison then we need to go back to the war.” The bunny reasoned.

“Right.” replied the bird-man. “You see human, a long time ago there were two races who ruled over earth. Humans and Monsters…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well at least most of the camp is okay with her being around, if only Sans was there to be made aware of her friendship status. Anything to keep from being eaten am I right?
> 
> Come talk to me on my [Tumblr!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lady-lyrjok%22)


	7. I Struggle With Forward Motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had some inspiration in the mountains, let's hop back on this train! I love these spooky boys, they're trying their best to get better and get to some semblance of normality.
> 
> Chapter warning:  
Panic  
Fear of home intruder

_ “the barrier... it’s broken.” _

_ “WHAT? WHERE DID THE SOULS COME FROM TO ACCOMPLISH THAT?” _

_ “dunno if they used souls...paps… the core… it’s… it’s in ruins.” _

_ “...” _

_ “the underground is empty too… they surfaced… she took them to the surface and left us to rot!” _

_ “THE BARRIER IS BROKEN.” _

_ “yea.” _

_ “WE CAN GET OUT! SANS! WE CAN GET SNOWDIN OUT!” _

_ “yea.” _

_ “YOU REST, I’LL GATHER EVERYONE! WE CAN SURFACE!” _

_ “... okay.” _

* * *

What does one do when they have access to an alleged dangerous group of monsters? The government is after these creatures, the Queen of their race is issuing warnings about them, and here I am. Not only interacting with one of them on a regular basis, but sending all of my leftovers and over-stocked food to them. They are on a first name basis with me even!

There weren’t many negatives to this set up. My traps still didn’t catch me anything, but they stopped coming back broken. Papyrus was an eager assistant around the property and his height made picking the fruits from the orchard a breeze. He had started helping me with the garden as well. I had revitalized what was possible to bring back and it was getting close to needing to start harvesting. Which meant it was canning time!

Nyx wound little figure eights around my feet as I paced the kitchen for all of the canning supplies. I was going to need a few more jars and lots of sugar for the fruits. The veggies and salsa I was hoping to make wouldn't require much extra but I was planning on sharing some of my bounty with Papyrus and his camp.

With a shopping list in hand, I bounced out the door and drove off into town. It was a beautiful day out. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and on days like these it was a perfect excuse to get an iced chai and sit by the splash pad to enjoy it before doing any actual shopping.

I watched several government trucks pass by as I sipped my beverage. FEMA was slowly pulling out but they were being replaced by a handful of other government agencies all attempting to micro-manage the main monster camp.

Scrolling through a few different news sites confirmed that the housing was still being built. There were a few pictures showing the emerging living quarters, all under an enthusiastic and bright banner welcoming the new race. However a few other sites showed that yes there was housing going up on the outskirts of town, but so were fences and barbed wire. As much as Ebott was opening its arms to monster kind, it was also weary.

A part of me couldn't blame the city for ordering the fences. Meeting the monsters that were near my place had been shocking and terrifying in many respects. Even with Papyrus as an escort, there were a few monsters that didn't take to me just because I was with one of their own.

However, it also felt like we were shutting them into a slum community that would most likely receive very little assistance from the outside. More resources would be allocated to gate keeping them than helping them recover. From the history lesson I had received the other day in the Snowdin monster camp, it sounded like they were surfacing from one prison, just to be herded into another.

I put my phone away and sighed. Media made me depressed more often than not, and I was here to enjoy my afternoon before starting the long endeavor of harvesting and canning as much as I could. And if I swung by the construction site for the monster community before I headed home, that was my business.

Well…

The buildings that were up didn't look terrible. It was obvious that the bare minimum was being done in terms of comfort. The little duplexes and apartment style buildings were most certainly not going to be in any parade of homes magazines, but they also looked stable enough to at least be relatively roomy shelters. The fencing around the area did bring the words 'slum' or 'concentration camp' to mind. My gut twisted along with the rolling barbed wire affixed to the top of the fencing. I clung to the hope that this was temporary, that the walls would come down and our two societies could mingle and coexist.

Would Papyrus and his camp want to move here? Would I be able to visit them? Would they be able to visit me?

I thought of Papyrus's teeth, would he be able to get those looked at? Would any of the Snowdin monsters be able to get medical attention? The Buns looked so thin, the Doggi had injuries, and the flame monster I had seen looked like he was in so much pain. 

Shaking my head, I started my jeep up and headed for home. All of my questions wouldn't be answered by staring at the inanimate buildings. I made a mental note to look up when the next city hall meeting was. Some of the answers might crop up in a public forum

Dirt crunched under the tires of my jeep as I rolled down the side road leading out to my place. The sun was starting to dip down in the sky, indicating that I had been out for about six hours today. Not a bad amount of time, just more than I had originally intended.

The house came into view through the trees. At a glance it looked fine. Just as I had left it. But as I drew closer, the mess of my property made itself apparent.

The door to the chicken coop was wide open, the girls were happily scratching in the dirt nearby, but I had definitely not let them out this morning. Parking my jeep, I jogged around the outside of the house. Had there been a break in?

I grimaced at the sight of half of the contents of my shed strewn around. My little wood pile had been torn away from the side of the house, and there were long claw marks around several of my windows.

A human hadn't done this. My first thought was of Papyrus. But I was hesitant to think that he would do this kind of damage to my property. My second thought was of the dog couple. They hadn't been exactly pleased to find out that they had been getting food from a human. But the one, Dogamy? Was missing a leg, they relied on the support of the other one to even get within striking distance of me… no this couldn't be them. 

Anxiety swelled in my chest and my steps quickened in my haste to get around to the front door so I could get inside. Was Nyx okay? Was there still an intruder insi-

“welcome home morsel.”

Adrenaline rocked through me like a bolt of lightning, conjuring up memories of a blown eye light and a bloody axe. My body whirled to face the speaker, hand grasping at empty pockets. I didn’t carry a weapon when I went to town.

Sure enough. Sans stood by the picnic table next to the orchard. Same filthy clothes, same deranged smile plastered to his skull, same axe clutched in his hand. I must have run right past him.

My eyes darted between him and the corner of my house. I would have to duck around the corner and lose sight of him in order to get to the front door. From our one other encounter, he didn’t seem to be fast, but he did take advantage of both occasions that I had taken my eyes off of him. Nope. Best to keep him in my sights.

Taking a shaky breath, I backed up a few paces to be closer to the edge of the house. “H-hey, uh, Sans right?”

He just stared. That one large eye light drilling metaphorical holes into me.

“Did you see what happened here?” I gestured at the mess behind him. Maybe he was responsible? Did he figure out that I had been in the camp? That his brother had a panic attack while I was there and so he was here to… I don’t know, scare me? Warn me away from spending time with Papyrus? Kill me?

Sans slowly turned to look at the mess behind him. His empty hand creeped up to hook into the dark eye socket and tugged. The action made me wince as I backed up in an attempt to escape.

“paps…” The deep baritone of his voice carried across the yard with ease. I froze at the mention of his brother. Sans turned back to face me, fingers still curled into the dead socket. “came to see you but… you weren’t…” His speech was halting, like he kept forgetting what he was going to say only to remember it a moment later. His phalanges fell from his socket only to point at me. “stroganoff.”

I managed to rasp out a confused yes over my dry throat. He knew I had been in the camp with his brother and the others. This was it. Kill happy big bro Sans was here to protect his brother from the influence of humans by removing me entirely. 

Sans let his arm fall to his side and he began to walk towards me. His movement jolted my body to action as well and I fled around the corner of the house. If I could get inside, I could... do something? Sans was Papyrus’s brother, I couldn’t very well kill him! Maybe scare him off? Talk to him with the barrier of a solid door between us? Whatever, I just had to get inside!

The scent of burning ozone singed my nostrils. Sans popped into existence in front of me, grabbing my shoulder, and effectively cutting off my retreat into the house.

“thank you.”

I almost didn’t catch his words, panic does a damn good job at cutting off all other functions of the body in favor of survival. I grabbed the hand holding me, he let me pry it off of my shoulder, heavy as it was, with surprising ease. Only after I put a few good steps between us did my brain supply that he had even spoken.

“What?” My breathing sounded way too loud in my ears. So did my heart beat. The rushing of blood through my veins, the creaking of his bones as he shifted from one foot to another. A deafening cacophony of sound that was keeping me from processing whatever it was that he just said.

“stroganoff.” He reached into his grubby sweatshirt and presented me with an empty tupperware container.

I blinked at it, then at him. Was he… returning my tupperware? My fried brain fumbled for a response as I reached out with shaking hands to retrieve the tupperware. It seemed that Sans had words enough for the both of us.

“pap… told me that you made that with him. he uh… couldn’t…” Sans was staring hard at the container in my hands as his words trailed off. There was a solid twenty seconds of silence before his eye light seemed to brighten and he continued on as if he hadn’t just frozen up before. “he couldn’t  _ contain _ himself… said he had a new friend.”

His smile seemed almost genuine for a moment before it became a tight grimace again. “but when you weren’t here today… he thought you were…” His sockets slid closed then reopened in a sluggish blink. “my bro is a really cool guy…” That crimson eye dragged itself up from the container to my face. His slippers scuffed the ground as he closed the gap between us. His bulky frame easily towering over me. “and if you hurt him…”

“I won’t!” I squeaked out, flattening myself to the side of my house.

We stared at each other for who knows how long. He broke first. Slouching back and shoving his axe free hand into his pocket. “good… i’ll tell him that you’re home.” And with that, he turned and shuffled off into the trees. My eyes followed him until the undergrowth hid him entirely from view.

Then I fled inside. The heavy wooden door slammed behind me and I quickly threw the lock into place before sliding to the floor to hyperventilate. At some point, Nyx found me and crawled into my lap purring and butting her head to my chin until my breaths came in regular intervals. 

“Thanks, lovely.” I murmured to my furry friend. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

She chirped and leapt away so I could stand. I did a quick walk through the house to find nothing out of place. The only damage was to the outside of the house… which I would deal with tomorrow. I had had quite enough excitement for the day thanks. It was going to be a hot bath and an early night kind of night. 

And if I just so happened to keep my revolver near my bed side then that was up to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting somewhere!


End file.
